Does your state use a health benefits consultant/broker-based program to enroll Medicaid recipients into a managed care Medicaid plan? More than likely it does, according to the recent Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Study, conducted by Mary Kenesson of 40 states. Key findings:
Only 10 states still allow health plans to actively enroll Medicaid recipients.
A majority of the states, 38 as of June 1997, are now using either public agency staff or health benefits consultant-based programs to counsel Medicaid recipients on health plans. As healthcare gatekeepers, they compile all marketing material, sign up all enrollees, and collect relevant information on enrollee healthcare status.